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F4 tornado in Mason County, Texas

Tornado May 11, 1999 · Mason County, Texas

F4
Rating
7.0 mi
Path length
1,400 yd
Path width
1
Death
6
Injuries
$750K
Damage as recorded
$250K
Crop damage
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 1,400 yards (0.80 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A large multiple-vortex tornado ripped through eastern Mason County during the late afternoon hours. The slow moving tornado first touched down near the Llano River 9 miles northwest of Loyal Valley and then travelled a 7-mile long path, finally dissipating 5 miles north of Loyal Valley. This tornado, whose width would reach three-quarters of a mile wide at times, caused widespread devastation. Two homes were completely destroyed, with debris scattered over great distances. Large pieces of a pick-up truck were located three-quarters of a mile away from the house where it had been left. Tragically, one person was killed and 5 others were injured when that same house was destroyed. The people had sought refuge in a car in a stone garage, but as the tornado tore across the garage, debris smashed through the car, killing one man and injuring the remaining occupants. Sixteen other houses were damaged, along with additional barns and outbuildings. Numerous head of cattle and deer were also killed as the tornado passed. When the tornado crossed Farm-to-Market Road 152, a stretch of asphalt 720 feet wide was ripped off of the road surface.

The wider storm

A series of supercell thunderstorms ripped across the Heartland and Northwest Hill Country on the afternoon of the 11th. Three tornadoes would touch down, including a devastating F4 tornado north of Loyal Valley in eastern Mason County. One person was killed and 6 others injured as the three-quarters of a mile tornado tracked a 7 mile long path.

Began near Loyal Vly (30.6800, -99.1000).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

2 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5700642. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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